PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — United States Marshals have tracked down dozens of fugitives wanted for violent crimes in the Philadelphia region. According to officials, they were all collecting federal money to pay for housing.
Over the past two weeks, U.S. Marshals Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force members and special agents from the HUD Office of the Inspector General worked together to round up fugitives living off taxpayers' money. They called it “Operation Moving Day.” It is part of a national initiative called “Operation Clean House.”
Forty-one men and women wanted for violent crimes such as arson, shooting, armed robbery, and crimes against children were taken into custody.
Robert Clark with the U.S. Marshals Service said the fugitives were receiving money for housing in Philadelphia and the suburbs.
"So a lot of times some of these apartments or residences we went into were in upscale neighborhoods, but these people were receiving subsidized checks from the government, because of their situation,” Clark said.
“And you know we believe federal housing assistance is designed to support law-abiding, low-income citizens, not to shield wanted individuals from justice."
Among those arrested was a 31-year-old man wanted for a Philadelphia shooting in August, and a 23-year-old man wanted for offenses against children.
